Egg freezing: a breakthrough for reproductive autonomy?
This article describes the relatively new technology of freezing human eggs and examines whether egg freezing, specifically when it is used by healthy women as 'insurance' against age-related infertility, is a legitimate exercise of reproductive autonomy. Although egg freezing has the potential to expand women's reproductive options and thus may represent a breakthrough for reproductive autonomy, I argue that without adequate information about likely outcomes and risks, women may be choosing to freeze their eggs in a commercially exploitative context, thus undermining rather than expanding reproductive autonomy.
Harwood
Karey
K
Department of Philosophy and Religion and Women's and Gender Studies at North Carolina State University, North Carolina 27695-8103, USA. karey_harwood@ncsu.edu
D000328:Adult; D002755:Choice Behavior; D032821:Commodification; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000941:ethics*; D006801:Humans; D008389:Marketing of Health Services / Q000941:ethics; D008423:Maternal Age; D054315:Oocyte Retrieval / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D026706:Paternalism; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D046269:Reproductive Rights / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical; D014481:United States